Wolds
Wolds are mystical constructs of stone and wood used by the Circle Orboros mainly as warbeasts. Wolds have massive slabs of shaped stone instead of vulnerable flesh and bundles of dense wood bound by heavy cords of woven rope in place of muscle and sinew. The glowing runes across the surface of a wold are imbued with the will of its creator and empowered by natural energy from sites of ley line convergence. They imprint the wold with its fundamental behavior and compel it to heed the commands of the blackclads.Kingdoms Unleashed RPG Core Rulebook All wolds are automatons crafted entirely of natural materials, and in appearance, most fall into two general categories. Wolds of the first type appear as huge humanoid beings while wolds of the second type—the woldwyrds and woldstalkers are flitting, graceful constructs that resemble floating stone eyes. Both types are inscribed with various runes of power that provide animation and tap directly into the magical ley lines hidden within the earth. As they are not truly alive they do not need substance and do not have motivations of their own but they do have a limited intelligence which gives them a degree of independence.No Quarter #39 Creation All wolds are crafted from stone or wood and druids of different regions making use of the strongest or most resilient materials available. Stones must be free of fissures and of sufficient quality while while wood could be cut and polished to the artificer’s specifications or left rough and natural if it is strong enough. Fresh blood is applied to the vines, ropes, and wood elements of the larger wolds to ease the animating process. Circle forces can acquire blood for this purpose in the natural course of battle, but sacrifices might also be used and humans and powerful predators provide the most useful blood in those cases.The most important phase of wold construction is carving mystical runes into the construct’s prominent stone surfaces and empowering them with energy. This instills the animating will of the druid into the construct, setting into place its powers, behaviors, and fighting capabilities. Additionally, the runes create a connection to the ley line energies flowing through Caen to serve as a source of power. Forces of Hordes: Circle Orboros Command MK3 Role Wolds are used for a wide variety of purposes by the Circle Orboros. They are mainly used for defending sacred sites as they can stand motionless in a sacred grove for centuries. Because the wolds tap into the ley lines below Caen in a similar fashion as the Circle’s great standing stones, skilled and experienced druids employ them as anchors and energy conduits for powerful rituals keyed to celestial alignments or the spilling of blood. With the expansion of wars involving the Circle, wolds are increasing being used in battles. While they lack the imagination of tamed wild creatures they are much more predictable allowing warlocks of the Circle to concentrate on the battle. Each wold is designed to perform specific roles. Woldstalkers and woldwyrds maneuver effortlessly around the battlefield smiting enemies with blasts of primal energy while Woldwatchers often stay close to their controlling druids, smashing enemies with their rune fists or unleashing bolts of elemental power. The larger wold guardian and woldwarden can take the fight directly to an enemy’s most powerful battlefield assets, easily going toe-to- toe with warbeasts and warjacks. Requiring considerable time and materials to construct and therefore most often used to guard the Circle’s greatest ley line nodes are the formidable hulking woldwraths, which are capable of summoning storms and unleashing torrents of lightning. However their great stone forms are not easy to repair and few blackclads can simply channel raw magic into a wold to mend its damage as he might seal the wounds of a living warbeast. A druid can draw use the power of shifting stones to mend minor cracks in a wold’s stone, but extensive repairs require a skilled hand and a supply of its base materials, and the restoration of vital runes is a lengthy process that cannot be performed in the middle of combat. As wolds are not truly independent creatures, tapping into their full powers usually requires the guiding will of a blackclad and some druids having no affinity for wolds and prefer to develop bonds only with living warbeasts. References Category:Circle Orboros Category:Magic Category:Technologies